I Don't Care What They Told You
by seventhofsixvalkyries
Summary: Diva was brought back by a group of scientists, who claim they worked for Amshell four years ago. Wanting to see her children, Diva breaks free from the lab and somehow ends up under the care of the unwilling Kai. Official Chapter 19 up.
1. Memories

_know it's an odd pairing. But I'm hoping it'll work out. I think they'll look good together... and I didn't find a single "KaixDiva" so I decided to make a move! Meh… I hope you like it and I HOPE I could convince a few people about this pairing._

_Warning: Lots of lame stuff will be going on (in my opinion)_

_disclaimer: don't own blood+_

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_"okasan..."_

_"okasan..."_

She doesn't remember feeling like this before. It was like her heart was being squeezed. The more they call out, the more painful it became. Whatever this feeling was...she didn't like it.

_"okasan!"_

_"okasan...?"_

_My angels._

This is much different from being locked up in a tower. Since she remembered, she couldn't move nor speak. It was breaking her even more. The fact that she couldn't hold her kids was already killing her, but to be robbed the right to at least answer back at them was too much for her to take already.

_I will...I will find you._

"Sir, we're getting a weird response from her!"

"What? What is it?"

"There's too much brain activity going on. It never reached this high before!"

"It seems...her memory has returned completely."

"What do you want me to do sir?"

"Do whatever you can to make her forget. We can't allow her to remember."

_No. I won't let you._

"okasan!"

_I won't let you take them away from me._

The lab assistant was in the middle of commencing the operation when his fingers froze on the panel. The next wave of responses he was getting from the beautiful creature submerged in a biological tank before them, he could swear, were emotions. She began flailing her limbs wildly.

"What is going on? She isn't supposed to be moving with all the sedatives we gave her!"

"Sir…they are em—emotions."

"What is that?"

"She was able to fight EVERYTHING through a powerful surge of emotions."

"Shut up! Don't you know how unscientific that is?"

"I am a wave reading specialist, sir. I can't be wrong. And I swear...I can tell she is crying."

"Damn it! I don't care if she is even vomiting her heart out! Erase all her memories now! It might stop her."

_Erase..all..my...memories..._ _You, you are quite the irritating one_. Her eyes shot open, revealing angered glowing blue orbs.

_"Let's go…Diva…"_

Upon hearing this, momentary shock reflected in her eyes. She didn't think she heard it right. The voice didn't belong to any of her kids. She was quite sure if she did hear it, it would be her sister's. "Let's go…" hearing it again, she was convinced this was indeed her chance to escape. She was actually being helped. She smiled… _Nee-san…_

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_I know it's short… it's an introduction. I'm not good enough to be making a 30 page intro. Hehehe… ;P_


	2. Alcohol

_Chapter 2 up!!_

_Disclaimer: don't own blood+_

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He was just another step off the street when his stomach made another somersault. This time, he threw up everything he drank. He wiped his lips with the sleeves of his messed-up yellow button-up shirt and gave a small laugh.

_Heh...been a while..._

He went back to walking sluggishly to where Saya slept.

_Today was a mess. She'll kill me if she was awake._

He was up for another swig from the fairly huge bottle of whiskey he held when he realized it was empty; just a drop fell in his craving mouth when he lifted the bottle mouth to his lips. Gah... He threw it carelessly off to the sidewalk. It was almost like a dumpster with all the trash anyway. He stupidly began to sing his problems to himself—everything he wanted to say to Saya's sleeping form. "The kids...were taken by those Red Shield fools. To think I swore to you that I'd take good care of them! Oh and that David won't tell me why! Haha! They were like my kids too! I have the right to know what's going on."

He slumped down the steps to Saya's tomb, lying there like it was some comfortable sofa. "—and that stupid Russian girl, Ischie, broke up with me. Haha...ha..." His laughter faded, and like a kid offered with a candy, his anger suddenly converted to meaningful silence and began to speak normally again. "Damn...she was the first girl to make me talk honestly to the one I like—to her.."

He only realized he was crying when he felt his throat tightening. "Agh, Damn it all..." He buried his face in his palms, ashamed of himself. "Look at me, Saya. I'm so pathetic. They are all gone."

"I hate this," Kai rubbed his tears off his cheek and rolled to his side. "Maybe I should sleep here. It's been a while, ne Saya?"

He raised his head for a while, wishing Saya would suddenly wake up and appear there in front of the tomb door and tell him to pull himself together. But after all, he just wished she would, all he saw there was Saya sleeping outside her tomb, her back rested on the wall, wrapped only with a long white cloth. He frowned in disappointment and rested his head on the cold step, wanting to get some sleep. "Who am I kidding? She wouldn't—" Suddenly, his head snapped back up. "Saya!" He was drowning so much in his problems that what he just saw didn't register properly in his mind. He immediately got to his feet, paying no heed to the pain in his head. He walked over to her excitedly. _It is Saya...except she...is fairer and had much longer hair? She couldn't have grown her hair to that length within just three years!_ As he got there, he knelt before her with his enthusiasm gradually being eaten by caution. "You're..." For a moment, he was positive that it WAS Saya. He reached out to touch her face but stopped as she stirred in her sleep, and slowly...opened her eyes. To his further surprise, they were glowing blue ones—not Saya's ruby red orbs.

"D—Di...H—how?"

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_This was all I could manage. I've got a lot of exams comin'...damn it all._


	3. Promises

_Please bear with me. I expect this to be crappy...because I made it in between reviews for three damned exams...curses!! I can't get this out of my head so I checked how this fic was doing and I'm really, really glad to know someone submitted reviews. It'll definitely help me boost and thanks for the constructive reviews...**they matter so much**._

_Many thanks to **Katya** and **Mangaka-chan**:)_

_Chapter 3 up!!_

_Day One_

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_I've got the feeling today is day one of something really, really unusual. Heh...probably my imagination._ Kai was awake yet his eyes were half-closed, and his lazy ass was still lying limply on what he thought was his bed. He sat up, opened his eyes, and looked around. He smiled out of relief. Although he had not slept on his bed, he was sure he was home. The television, the coffee table on the center, the bookshelves against the walls, and, most importantly, the bar on the far left of the room—_yep, I am home_. He had slept in the living room; on the couch, to be exact. _Kai, you bad ass._

His head was still as heavy as hell yet not that painful anymore. He got to his feet and walked in front of the mirror only to frown at his reflection. He looked terrible; there were bags under his eyes, his hair was messier than its usual unkempness, and, _hell_, he didn't even get to change last night. _What the hell happend last night anyway?_

He literally began knocking on his head for answers as he walked toward his room to get some clothes to change into. Alcohol sure did had some nasty effect on him; he could no longer differentiate the dream he had and what really happened last night. He remembered the critter floating around on some blue background—psshhh—surely that was part of the dream, but what about Saya speaking in his mind and sternly requesting he took care of the now-strayed-blue-eyed-wonder, Diva. Maybe that was part of the dream too. _Dreams can be really random sometimes._ _That definitely wouldn't happ_—_what the hell?_

Kai couldn't believe his eyes as he got to his room. There she was. Diva was actually sleeping on his bed and if he wasn't mistaken, she was dressed in one of his shirts. _So that wasn't a dream?_ He gritted his teeth so hard. He didn't think Saya would do something like that; negotiating with him when he was drunk so she could get him to agree. _That Saya! Is this what she thinks of me?_ _She doesn't have to wait for me to get drunk. _He closed the distance between him and Diva and leaned forward to see if she was still asleep. Anyway, she was. He straightened and brought his hand to his forehead in an annoyed manner. "God, someone wake me up."

_Nah, this just can't be real. But maybe if I... _Kai moved stray locks away from her face and tucked them behind her ear. _Damn, she is real. _If there were two things that Kai realized at the moment, which would be how alcohol doesn't really work for him and how beautiful Diva actually was. He snapped back to reality and groaned. _That Saya,_ _I swear... _He sighed. _They are siblings after all._ "'Guess it can't be helped, ne Diva?" _Whoa, that felt really surreal._ Diva briefly stirred and her eyes fluttered open. Ironically, her blue orbs were bloodshot. She looked really tired. She sat up, eyeing Kai.

"I didn't do anything," Kai raised both his hands, looking rather bored and not fully accepting what he had gotten himself into.

Diva's eyes didn't soften. "You said you'd take me to them."

"Them?" Kai asked.

"My children." She was looking around the room. Kai knew she was hoping like he did too.

"I said that?" he asked monotonously. She momentarily glared. "I was drunk last night, okay? I don't remember what happened! All I remember is Saya wants me to take care of you. That's it! I don't know what I did and how things ended up like this."

"Drunk?"

"Yes, I was drunk. People do that if they feel like retiring from their problems for a while. Apparently, alcohol was meant for everybody else but me."

Her eyes narrowed at him as if squeezing out more explanations from him. "There is something you are avoiding to tell me."

Kai sighed. "I don't know where they are."

He went silent, knowing Diva would probably do something murderous to him now after learning he didn't really mean what he said last night. _Heck, _he doesn't even know what he said. To his surprise, she didn't. In fact, she looked like she was going to die. Her eyes were teary. "I will go and find them."

"What? You're telling me you're going to run outside and randomly call out for them? Heck, you don't even know their names."

Diva felt the same pain back at the lab again and clutched her chest. She literally jumped off the bed, pushing Kai aside on the process, only to fall to her knees. Anymore attempts she made to get up only led her back to the floor.

"You haven't been feeding?" Kai didn't feel any sense of vengeance on what was happening. He actually felt bad for her. This just isn't the cold Diva he knew. He got to his feet and lifted her crying form back to the bed. He took the portrait of the little ones from his side shelf and handed it to Diva, who gently took it in her hands. "The blue-eyed one, I named Saya, and the red-eyed, Diva. They're four years old. Both are talkative, especially Diva. For some reason, they have this certain fondness for blue roses. But most importantly, there wasn't a night before they slept that they didn't ask me about you."

Diva's teary gaze at the pictures broke and went to Kai.

"I tell you, you don't know how badly I want them to see you but I just don't know where they are. Red Shield took them just yesterday for some reason. They were asking me to stay out of it for a week—just a week."

"A week!" To Diva, a week was forever. Kai doesn't know how much it would hurt for her to wait for even a day.

"I know it's too long for you, it is for me too. That's why I'm planning—no—I'll do something myself to find out what's going on. Give me a week, Diva, just a week. I promise you'll see them." Kai briefly went silent, analyzing Diva's reaction. She was still crying, yet he was sure she had already trusted seven days to him. Knowing himself, and being aware of the negotiation with Saya about taking care of her sister, he knew he must've promised to do so. Whether he was drunk or not, he knew to himself that he would promise Saya.

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_Done… phew… this one's something I had to get rid off my head. It keeps bugging me. If I don't type it down then my studies are done for. Onegai, bear with me…_


	4. Just for Tonight

_chappie 4... sorry for the delay... but i'm really happy i'm through with 2 of my exams.. i have 1 more left!! haha!!_

_this chapter is too Kai-centric. i'm typing the one next to this and it's Diva-centric... i'm hoping i could make the one next to it focused on Diva too...or maybe both of them... i dunno..._

_disclaimer: don't own bloodplus..._

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Thinking Diva was at his house made him flinch and grip the glass he held tighter. _What in heaven's name am I doing? _He burried his eyes behind his other hand in frustration.

"Hey! Watch that innocent glass!" Sousuke, the bar tender, scolded. Kai peeked between his fingers. Seeing the old man wasn't really happy with the idea of him focusing anger on the 'innocent glass', he dropped his hand down and pushed the glass closer to the old man. "Surrendering it or asking for another glass?"

Kai didn't answer but Sousuke could tell it was the latter. The old man sighed heavily, took the glass and propped it on the sink. Kai furrowed his brow and sighed heavily.

"I know you're disappointed," Sousuke went around the bar, made his way to Kai's side, and sat down. "Fine, I'll try to take you more seriously."

Kai cursed under his breath.

"Kid, who will believe you? What kind of person will believe someone in 'SLUMBERS' is communicating with you through your mind? An idiot."

Kai slammed his hands on the table with extra effort than needed and stood to leave.

Sousuke sighed. "Sit down, kid."

Kai did so, for the sake of taking the chance to convince someone, it seemed. "So...finally want to be an idiot?"

"I will try to open my mind a little more this time." Sousuke assured. He waited for some sort of acknowledgement from Kai before saying anything. Kai leaned on the table, beckoning the bartender his permission. "You told me you don't really like the idea of her staying at your house."

The youngster nodded lazily. "I don't think I will ever trust her..."

"Apparently...and right now, I'm guessing you have no plans on going home." Sousuke pulled out a cigar and offered one to Kai, who declined.

"I don't want to... all this, I think, had just deeply sunk in me. It's making me sick." Kai gave a low groan and buried his face in his folded arms resting on the bar table.

"Then why are you helping her? Why did you give her your word?"

"I just want my kids back."

Sousuke narrowed his eyes at Kai. "Kai, they are mother and children. You can't take that away. Outweighing their mother will be rather selfish. Don't you even remember telling me how that girl seemed so eager to see her kids?"

"I don't really care. Why should I?"

The old man's eyes fell on the black hand gun strapped on Kai's belt. _He isn't..._ "What in heaven's name...? Kai, you aren't...thinking of--"

Kai raised his head, fuming. "You don't know how hard it is. A part of me--no--all of me is dying to seek revenge. But this--" Kai pointed a shaking finger at his own head "--this! This stupid...damned thing! It's on the way! I can never do it!"

Silence took over for a moment. Minutes later, it was Sousuke, lighting his cigar who broke it. "Kid, you promised Saya too, remember?"

"To tell you the truth, I really don't know..." Kai pathetically buried his head back in his arms. "Damn it. I'm becoming senseless, huh?"

"Kid, I really can't help you. All I can do for you is to listen to you and that's just about it." Kai gave a low groan in disappointment. "But there is one thing though...will it be worth it if you try and do what you're thinking right now? Will you be able to look at your kids in the eye?"

Kai didn't answer. Sousuke couldn't really tell what he's thinking. All he could see was the top of the lad's head. Kai breathed heavily and eventually got up from his seat. "Can I stay right here for the night?"

"Just for this night?"

Kai didn't speak long enough that Sousuke had enough time going back behind the bar and finish cleaning two empty glasses.

"Just for tonight." Kai finally said.

Sousuke sighed slightly and smiled probably in relief. He himself wasn't quite sure.

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_:) thanks to my reviewers by the way..._

_wee-little-kitsune_

_Sylincir_

_Katya_

_and Mangaka-chan_


	5. Shards

_a/n: Err... I think this one's short...but...gomen... have lots of things to do... just love writing about this I couldn't help but write in between activities..._

_disclaimer: don't own bloodplus..._

_Chapter 5_

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Tick...tock...tick...tock...

_Annonying...so...annoying..._

It just took another tick from the only clock in Kai's room before it pushed Diva to grab it and smash it on the wall above the bed's headboard. _I can not just sit here..._ She gritted her teeth hard behind her lips as she gave it another five minutes to look at the doorway. _No one's coming...and I'm..._

The shattered clock's parts started rolling off the bed and to the floor. The consecutive sounds of metal falling to floor and rolling out annoyed her even further. She grabbed the lamp on the side table next and threw it to the floor. She was already fuming. She shot her gaze around in search for the next nearest thing she could smash. Her almost frantic search stopped when her eyes fell on her children's portrait. Her angels sure calmed her for a moment. But staring at it longer only fuelled her rage, and even stronger. She grabbed the glass rose figurine beside the portrait and smashed it on the wall as well, not keeping the shards that invaded the flesh of her palm in mind. _I can not just sit here!_ She let out a disturbing scream and smashed the small shards left in her palm repeatedly on the wall. But it was her mistake. The blood trickling from her lacerations gave her ideas and awakened the thirst she tried so hard to keep dormant ever since the lab incident. Her eyes began to glow and it seemed her stomach tugged hard at her throat. She knew this meant only one thing at the moment... _I have to...I have to...or..._

She threw the sheets aside and used the little energy she was able to save up to stand and walk. Tiny metal parts and shards of maybe the figurine, the clock, or the lamp freely invaded her feet's flesh without her minding. As of the moment, she had one thing in mind. If she badly wanted to do something...she must regain strength.

She walked close to the wall for support and as soon as she got to the main door of the Omoro, that distinct smile, she hadn't worn for quite some time, crept her lips. _Humans..._ There were probably two right behind the wall before her. As of the moment, she didn't care if it was broad day light.

She yanked the door open after unlocking it and stepped halfway out feeling her stomach making tiny somersaults in excitement.

"Phew...check it out..." that definitely wasn't Kai's. It sounded like some foolish creature who volunteered to be the kind hearted one and offer the agitated Chiropteran breakfast. Laughter of his companion followed. Now, that sounded like second course. "Looks like that kid Kai is having quite some fun. Sure that Russian chick was something but clearly that naughty, naughty kid proved he's got the taste..."

"I'm sure Kai wouldn't mind if we spend a little quality time with this one. It's his fault, anyway. Leaving her alone looking like a shining invitation."

_Invitation...you're irritating...I don't like you..._

"I don't like you." she said aloud.

Both men began laughing hysterically. As soon as the other had regained his breath he began speaking again. "That's too bad...you see...because we kind of feel otherwise..."

"And we have no plans on leaving until we get what we want..."

Well, well...they are rather cooperative...generous, rather...

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_The next chapter will have a touch of very, very slight action... hehehe! Gomen if this chapter makes it appear like I didn't but much effort on it... Thanks to my reviewers... :) You guys give me reason to write this down and not keep it sealed in my head._


	6. To Heal a Physical Wound

_this one is a lot more decent than the one before it..i think..._

_Chapter Six up!!_

_disclaimer: don't own blood+_

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"Kid..."

_What now...?_

"Kid...hey, kid..."

_Shut up...just let me sleep..._

"KAI!"

"Damn it," Kai grunted after almost jumping from where he sat. "What?"

"It's morning already," Sousuke reminded, shaking two newly cleaned glasses in front of himself, emphasizing the start of business hours. "Keep sleeping there and you'll scare my customers away."

"Scare?" Kai asked, furrowing his brow.

"You look awful, if you don't know yet."

"Why, thank you, gramps." Kai got up lazily and stretched out his arms to his furthest with a sound yawn. "I'm going home then. I'll try to keep up to my problems. Abolish them by starting with one, ne Sousuke?"

"You can get lost now," Sousuke said without looking at Kai's morning sarcastic face.

"Whatever you say, sunshine." Kai headed for the door when he felt the supposed weight there was on his belt strap was gone, including the feel of the cold metal of the black gun that was there the last he remembered. He groaned and looked over his shoulder. "Sousuke, my gun?"

"Oh, that." Sousuke pulled out the gun from his drawer and tossed it casually to Kai, who caught it like it was some delicate china. "I took it from you last night. I wouldn't know if you suddenly decide to shoot around when you're drunk."

Kai waved his hand dismissively and went out the door. As soon as he was about a few feet from the bar entrance, he turned for the first alleyway for a shortcut. _I forgot my bike—darn_. But then, his biggest problem as of now was the fact that he wasn't quite sure how he was going to explain to Diva when he gets home. 'No I didn't find any clue because I slacked off.' _Wonderful…really…_

Walking, probably too lost in his thoughts and busy constructing an acceptable excuse, he wasn't able to react too violently and lunge a fist on the scampering stranger that literally rammed himself at him. "&!" Kai cursed and grabbed him by the arm. "What the hell?"

"She's crazy! Let me go! I don't want to die!"

Kai momentarily froze. He was sure he knew what the paled man was saying. "What happened? Tell me."

"Let go!"

One last 'let go' escaped his lips and Kai wasn't able to hold back anymore. He drew out his gun and pushed the barrel hard on the stranger's forehead. "Tell me…"

"Aren't you supposed to know? She's that girl you're keeping!"

Kai himself was surprised he was still taken by the confirmation as his eyes grew wide in surprise. "You're coming with me."

"What?"

"I believe you left a comrade back there. I want you to take him with you and run the moment I tell you to."

Diva was pissed off with the fact that she wasn't as strong as she needed to be at the moment. The pervert managed to lay a scratch on her cheek and even leave the blade he used stuck in her shoulder. She didn't wince, she doesn't really anyway. She picked up a close by chair with a single hand and rammed it broken on the physical object of her current irritation that was down on the floor—that was for her cheek. She didn't even wait for him to scream when she walked closer, picked him up by the shoulders, and threw him to the wall—that was for her shoulder. And the last will be for her thirst.

She grabbed him by the shirt, almost smirking with victory, and slowly, her lips parted, giving her teeth way…but the loud boom of the door parting from the hinges of the door frame interrupted her meal. Kai came panting, gun still in one hand, and the second idiot on the other. "Diva, don't…"

Diva glared at him.

"Don't do it!"

She turned away from him like he didn't say anything. But before she could even bite, Kai sped toward Diva, attempted to tackle her only to be thrown off to the next closest wall. He grunted. In pain and hand still on his shoulder, he sped toward her once more in his final attempt to stop her. It was probably because of her weakening state that he was able to bring her down, and pin her to the floor.

"You'll always be on the way." She said almost in a whisper. Forcefully bringing her hand to his neck, she rammed him on the wall.

"You," Kai called at the one he dragged back at the Omoro. "Take your friend and get out of here quickly!"

Diva's eyes shone with anger. She attempted to stop her meal from getting away when Kai locked an arm around her waist and fixed the gun right on her stomach. "I'm sorry. This won't hurt that much, will it?"

The unharmed delinquent did as he was told and ran off with his comrade.

Kai shut his eyes close and fired twice. It didn't kill Diva, but after all, it was meant to stop her. She shrieked. Kai felt her body grow limp but had much goodness in him to keep her from falling to the floor.

"Damn." She cursed. "You…don't know what that meant to me."

"You wouldn't be able to look them in the eye if you fed on that worthless fool." Kai said with his gaze pretty far off. He should remember to thank Sousuke after this. He returned his gaze to Diva and her wounds. "That looks like it will take a while for it to heal…but maybe if…"

Diva, for some reason even she didn't know, felt what Kai said more than she heard it. Seeing he threw his gun to the side, and pulled the blade off her shoulder, her eyes softened. But the next thing he did brought her confusion. He unfastened the first three buttons of his shirt and tugged on his collar to expose his neck. There were bite marks there already. _Probably Saya…?_ It caught her attention long enough for Kai to notice she did see them. Kai wanted to tell her it was Riku's but chose not to talk about it, especially if it was Diva he was to talk to. The silence was beginning to bring him discomfort. He knew well he had to break it…

"You're going to have to feed if you want to recover quick..." his decision wasn't as concrete as it seemed that he had to keep his gaze from falling to her reaction. He brought a free hand to the back of her head and lightly pushed it until he felt her lips touch his neck. It took a real while before it was finally teeth he felt. He closed his eyes, not minding when he'd wake up.

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_hope you like it. :)_

_thanks for the reviews..._


	7. Ischie

_First and foremost, I'd like to say sorry for the delay..._

_this chapter was written after a terrible advance trigonometry exam so you might expect it strongly affected by my current gluminess..._

_Chapter 7:_

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Back when she was in Amshell and her other chevalier's care, she led the princess life--sleep after feeding, or the wreck anything she thought wreckable when she had nothing to do. The short period of time passed in Kai's presence was--she couldn't help but notice--different. Although at the moment, she couldn't find the words to explain in what ways this was different. Whether it be positive or negative. She couldn't tell either if she liked it or not. Maybe she did. Because it was after all...new to her.

Her wounds have healed. She had agreed to feed only enough to heal up her wounds. Kai will help her close the distance between her and her kids. She can't let that chance get away--she can't let Kai die just because she had sucked him dry.

She quietly sat there beside his unconscious form, still in the same position he was from a while ago. And just staring at him flooded memories back into her head; how his younger form stubbornly got in the way, and that time when she had demanded to see Kai before the concert at the hangar..._damn..._she didn't want to go there. That will only further fuel her certain urge to actually kiss him.

He was motionless for a while now. Only his rythmic breathing was proof he was still alive. He broke the silence when he began saying something random in his sleep.

Diva leaned closer to hear. She didn't understand the first string of words, which he said in between breathing intervals. He said something again but she was pretty sure it was the same thing. She leaned even closer. Too close. Diva could feel his breath on her face now.

"Ischie...co...home...lread..."

_Ischie...?_ That was the only word she caught. The rest sounded like they intertwined.

He stirred in his sleep, and as his head hung low, his eyes slowly fluttered open. Confusion dashed his expression momentarily, noticing the awkward proximity between him and Diva. She sat back down, cutting the awkwardness herself. He could still feel the throb around the area where Diva had bitten him. "So you've healed up..."

"You're pale." Kai stood, hand still on neck, barely reacting to what Diva had just said. He nodded lazily.

"I'm going out for a while. Down to the clinic and get this fixed up." he said as he began rubbing his neck in an attempt to pacify the aftermath of the Chiropteran's feeding. For a moment, he looked like he was thinking deeply before he returned his gaze at Diva. "I was thinking, maybe I'd take you with me. We might find something to get you somewhat feeling better than your current state."

Diva just stared at him blankly. But to Kai, it translated into somethin like, 'Yeah, I'd love to but how are you going to do that?"

"I'll think of something..."

* * *

While having his neck incisions done, Kai couldn't help but notice the glances the old doctor stole at Diva who was sitting in the corner, eyes hidden under the dark lenses of the shades she wore.

"I don't know but she looks familiar." the old man said in between work and material choosing. "Does Ischie know about this? You know that girl can get jealous sometimes."

The sound of that name sort of activated Diva's interest. She shifts into a position that somewhat made it easier for her to hear.

Kai gulped down the lump forming in his throat before speaking out. "It's not like that...and I don't think she would care this time..."

The doctor paused from work for a while, taking a better look at Kai's expression. "Why, lad? Had another fight?"

"Worse, Simon." Kai answered and kept it at that. It still pained him to talk about it.

"I'm sorry, lad." the old man said with hints of shock in his voice. He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not part of this but somehow I'm even more unprepared than you are."

Kai forced out a weak smile. _I miss her...so much..._

"I really want to restrain myself from asking but I probably was too fond of the both you kids. What happened, Kai?" Simon, as a friend, would probably settle his materials on the table and just listen but he had obligations as a doctor so he resumed Kai's patch.

"Stupid story...just received a call from her and she ended things there."

"Just like that?"

"I told her maybe if we talked in person things would get clearer but she said there wasn't anything to clarify. Maybe she got sick of me? I don't know."

"What do you plan to do now?"

"Do?"

"I mean, do you still want to talk to her in person. You got the point there, it would be clearer."

"Yeah...somewhat...I do. If only it was easy to fly to Russia now."

Simon gritted his teeth in realization. "Yeah...that's got to be the hardest part."

"When we spoke on the phone she sounded so sure and decided. Believe me, I tried all I could but her decision's unshaken. But what makes me feel really crappy is the fact that I don't know what made her decide so."

Simon made a 'tsk' sound. He was doing finishing touches that he had only half of his concentration on what Kai said last. "There, patch is done, kid."

"Thanks," Kai looked over his shoulder and remembered what he had in mind for Diva. "Hey, Simon..."

"Yep?"

"You see, my friend's anemic. I was wondering if you could help us with that?"

"No problem... Technology's here to save us. Heh... I still remember when Julia handled Saya with the same problems too."

Kai smiled. "Yeah. How's she doing by the way?"

"Just fine," Simon began. "She called last night, telling me she'd be back from important business in two days."

_Important business? Red Shield, I suppose. _"I see..."

* * *

_I know, short...:)_


	8. Discomfort

_disclaimer: don't own bloodplus or any of its characters..._

_Chapter 8_

* * *

If Diva didn't have an idea when she had started looking out the window and how long she had stared, Kai was just as clueless. He didn't know how long he had stared at her. He probably didn't even know he was staring. _(a/n: idiot...)._ He was only throwing short glances a while ago while settling the food he had prepared on the table but now...

When Diva moved--bringing a hand to her nape and resting her chin on the window sill in apparent boredom--Kai immediately returned his attention to his chore. He shook his head in realization.

"Uh..." he slightly groaned, realizing this would probably Diva's first time to eat human food. He hoped it wasn't. He was guessing she would like the same things Saya did. So, he prepared boiled eggs as a side dish. He walks over to her and groaned even more. He didn't know what the hell he'd say. How the hell should he tell her to eat? "Uh...Diva?"

She looked up at him, face blank, then her gaze fell on the food on the table. Kai felt somewhat relieved at that. He was hoping she already knew what he called her for and won't give him a hard time thinking of something to ask. "Yes?" Kai flinched at her question. _Shit._

"Uh...food?" _that sounded really stupid but safe enough._

She sighed slightly, walked over to the table and seated herself. Simply by picking the chopsticks up and handled it effortlessly answered Kai's question regarding the first-time-to-eat-human-food thing. Apparently, she already did before. She looked rather bored though. _Well, for a Cheropteran, this kind of food must really be boring. _She went straight for the boiled eggs. Kai smiled at this. _Knew it. _Noticing she had pulled her sleeves up before taking a dish, he remembered Ischie had a few clothes and stuff inside his cabinet. _She can use them, assuming Ischie won't step into Japan just for them._ _They are of about the same build anyway._

"You can change into a few clothes a friend of mine left inside my cabinet later. She won't be back anyway."

Diva had always been very choosy with clothes. She was hoping those clothes Kai referred to weren't as big as his shirts. Quite excited with the fact of a change, she gradually sped up eating. Seeing her eat like that, he could almost see Saya in her glutton mode.

After a few minutes and successfully emptying her plate, she settled it down and went for the room. She didn't mind closing the door but Kai knew better not to anger her by walking in there. But to his misfortune, his cellphone, which he left inside the room, began to ring. _Crap..._

"You tell me when you're done." He called out to Diva.

"I'm not prohibiting you from entering."

_Gulp. 'The hell is she saying?_ "Nah, nah...just tell me when you're done."

"Whatever you say." She took the phone herself and threw it at Kai. "Answer it, it might give you a clue on my daughters' whereabouts."

_Shit. I just saw her like that. _"Damn it...you could've thrown that when you're not in just underwear."

"I know you're not stupid."

Kai rolled his eyes and answered the call. "Yeah?"

"Kai!" said the voice on the other line, which sounded exactly like Mao.

"Mao?"

"Yep," she answered with glee. "I was hoping to see the kids soon. But I couldn't. Okamura and I got business boiling pretty devastatingly down town and I had promised to bring them some chocolates by this week. Can you tell them I couldn't come by? And I'll double the chocolates for delaying!"

"Yes...I will." Kai said monotonously.

Mao went silent not because she was waiting for Kai to answer, but because she knew Kai was troubled. "Is something wrong, Kai?"

"Nah...just feeling rather drowsy."

Kai could tell Mao wasn't convinced but decided to let it pass. She must be really busy. "For sanity's sake, stop drinking, Kai! Right, right... gotta go."

"Right." Kai cut the call first and put the phone down on the table. _Wait..._ That just reminded him. If there was someone who was smart enough to figure out too much about Saya and the Goldschmidths without the help of Red Shield, that was Okamura. _Perfect. _The guy can really keep his word too. He needs his help. This would include Mao for sure. That girl will nag her way to squeeze everything out of the poor reporter. It would be better if Kai saved him the nagging already.

Sighing, Kai dialled Mao's number and put the phone against his ear. It took about about a couple of rings before she picked up, there was shouting in the background, lots of shouting. "Mao, I need to talk to you and Okamura. I need your help."

"Hold on..." Mao kept the mouth piece far enough for Kai not to absorb the loudness of her shouts. "KEEP IT DOWN YOU BIG DOPE!! I"M TRYING TO TALK HERE!"

The rest were so fast that Kai couldn't make sense out of it. A few seconds later, she had returned to their conversation. "Be there in a few minutes.

"No, no... I mean, I'll go there instead."

"No, we're going down town anyway. It'll be more convenient if we go there."

"No...uh...house is a mess...big time."

"Come on, we're used to mess."

"Mao, you see..." Mao had cut the line before he could say anything else. He groaned and set his phone down. "Darn that Mao..." He began tugging on his hair and pace back and forth. "What to do...what to do...? I have to get Diva out of here."

"Just let them see me." Diva said from behind.

Kai turned to react violently but was immediately hushed down by the sight of her dressed like girl again. Well...they fit--"Perfectly..."

"What?"

"Uh!" Kai shook his head vigorously. "I mean, stupid! No way!"

"I think they'll find out anyway."

_True..._ Kai sat down in defeat. He's got a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

_sorry for the late update._


	9. To Feel What Others Do

_I'd really hope you'd forgive me people for the delay. This is going to be my longest delay ever. I'll try to keep reasonable intervals of update after this chapter. Please, please, please bear with me I've just been through hell of exams since the semester is about to end. I took the chance to jot this chapter down while I'm still sane. Next week is another hell of exams...big risk of losing my sanity..._

_Chapter 9 finally done..._

_disclaimer: I know...i know...i don't own the anime blood plus_

**000**

Kai paced back and forth in the living room, taking deep breaths and sighs on almost every step. Diva sat there at the couch, and decided to play with the ends of a few locks of her hair as she gave up on looking at Kai.

"Uh..."

Diva shifted her gaze at Kai who finally stopped; he was looking at her like he wanted to say something. She knew exactly what he wanted to say. She kept her lips pursed, counting to three.

_One...two...three..._

"I think you should go inside."

Diva almost smiled. "Knew it." was all she muttered as she stood and went for the room. Not long after sitting on Kai's bed--which was now hers, by the way--the object of her slight amusement appeared at the doorway.

"I can't let Mao take this in one gulp. She'd literally explode--her mouth, I mean."

She didn't nod or say anything but agreed anyway. Kai didn't wait for her reaction like he did before. It seemed he was getting used to the no-answer reactions she responded him with. He gave her one of those "thrifty" smiles, and disappeared to the living room.

After another round of waiting, knocks were heard at the doorway. Diva stood and slid the bedroom door close, but left a slit to peek at just in case. She could hear talking...err...and yelling from one of them. She assumed that was the object of Kai's worry.

"Where are the kids? I brought them something!"

Silence...

"Both of you should sit down. I have something to say."

_Okay..._ "This is going to take long." Diva muttered. She sighed and sat back down. Taking her children's portrait in hand, she hummed to herself as softly as she could so the people in the living couldn't hear. Just behind where the kids' portrait stood was a smaller picture. This time, it was a picture of Kai, Riku, and Saya. For some reason, she just couldn't look at it any longer...probably because Riku was there. She settled her children's on the table again, turning away immediately from that part of the room, avoiding the other picture.

"You have got to be kidding the both of us Kai!"

Diva's attention immediately returned to their conversation.

"Maybe if you let me finish, you'll understand!"

"NO! If you ever finish this to the part where you say you're keeping her here, I'd probably..."

"Mao...the fact is...I am."

SLAP!

Diva couldn't help it anymore but to peek. She could see Kai, head hung low, and cheek red. The reporter was holding Mao with quite some difficulty as she struggle to break free, and probably give Kai another painful slap.

"Damn you, Kai! Have you forgotten already!"

"Mao, stop this!" Okamura interupted.

"Don't tell me to stop! You were there!" Mao yelled. "Tell me Kai! Have you forgotten how much we've lost because of her! Damn you Kai! Damn you!"

"You don't understand..."

"No! I understand clearly that you've lost you're mind, and my respect for you! It's not just people we've lost back then! We lost much more!"

Okamura began pulling her toward the door. With an arm firmly around her waist and the other hand pulling the door open. "I'll try to cool 'things' down, Kai."

He shut the door immediately as soon as they stepped out. Mao's screams and additional slaps could be heard outside, but soon faded.

Diva slid the door open. Assuming it was Diva, Kai turned around and forced a smile. His eyes couldn't hide how Mao had hit the painful spot so hard, they were framed delicately with tears. In one blink, tears will fall from them yet he fought so hard. He breathed shakily and shrugged his shoulders. "Guess I'm really not the good negotiator."

Diva wasn't really the person who showed exactly how she felt, but at the moment, where she was wondering just as Kai did, her eyes showed just how she felt sorry for the guy. She went to him, and gently framed his face with her fingers, wiping the tears threatening to fall from his eyes with her thumbs. Her cold hands made his breathing even shakier. Noticing how red his other cheek was from Mao's slap, she ran her fingers there, wishing it helped.

Kai briefly closed his eyes, reached for both her wrists, and pulled her hands away. "I'm going out for a while..."

"To Saya?" Diva assumed.

"Yes," he said with a nod. "To Saya..."

**000**

_:) thanks for the reviews. You people inspire me to keep this up._


	10. Flowers and Confusions

_Chapter 10 is here... :) _

_Hey, i know i said i'd update sooner this time. Actually i had this chapter written over and over again and always ended up realizing how it sucked so kept on rewriting and rewriting and only realized it will keep sucking if i don't give myself a break from the stressfull finals week. Now that i'm free from math...:) i'll do a better job._

* * *

** 000 **

"I don't know what's happening anymore."

Kai stared blankly at the tomb door. Just standing there made him felt like he was going to get an answer from the sleeping Cheropteran on the other side of the door when he actually wouldn't. Nonetheless, it helped him ease the confusion a "little", and that "little" was a very big help for a very disturbed person such as himself.

Indeed, he took nothing else but the silence of the moment, and the somewhat calming sunset, but it was Diva's slight movement that stole his attention. She had insisted to come, not in her usual way of pursuading someone, at least. Kai was looking at her yet kept his head straight. _I wonder how she feels?_ That definitely was a good question to ask her but he couldn't get himself to just spit it out. Whether it was the question or totally something else he kept pushing away for quite sometime from the day he had decided to open his heart for forgiveness that had something in it that he thought she wouldn't like, he didn't know. Diva is quite the difficult article to read but right now, the biggest whirl of confusion and misunderstanding was him.

_Great. More thinking..._ He sighed.

Hanging his head a little, he noticed the pink rose with a blue ribbon around the stem on the floor just before the door.

_"At least this guy knows what to do even if he was walking around with a big chunk of his life in slumbers."_

Looking at the flower gave him an idea he wasn't sure would help him, but it certainly won't hurt him. His gaze bounced from Diva to the innocent little gift Hagi had left for Saya.

"I think it doesn't matter what I decide. I chose to help you, and I intend to keep things going like that."

Diva looked up at Kai. Kai faced her and smiled. He had just found the perfect way to read her. Right now, he was sure she was startled. _Her eyes say so much. _He remembered how he managed to squeeze things out of Saya when at times she refused to say anything, and that was just one look in her eyes. That's what all it took.

"Let's go," Kai said as he began descending the small set of stairs. A while ago, they walked on their way here. Kai thought he was too disturbed to bring his bike. Today, they are going to walk home.

But before they could get to the dirt road shortcut, Kai stopped on his tracks. Diva, upon noticing his footsteps fade, halted as well.

Kai shook his head and waved at her to go on ahead. "Go on ahead, I'll just check on something."

_Diva furrowed her brow._ "No, don't worry. I'll be right behind your back."

She didn't nod but she followed just what he said anyway.

Kai walked over to a small patch of flowers just nearby the foot of the stairs, and was about to get to his business when he froze and realized that Diva had just furrowed her brows. He doesn't know but it meant so much. He shook it off -- or at least most of it as a smile resided on his lips. He went back to his original business and as soon as he had done what he wanted to get done, he caught up with Diva.

"Turns out to be a surprising day," Kai said with his lips fighting the genuine smile that kept forcing him to show, but not yet. He didn't want to show her just yet.

Kai predicted she wouldn't answer, but to his further surprise, the young lady's lips moved into a small smile. The young man even brightened and thought that if he wanted something done this day, he must get it done THIS DAY.

**000 **

As soon as they got home, Kai's cellphone began to ring. He slid his hand into his pocket and withdrew it with the small device in his grasp.

"Hello?"

_"Kai, it's me..." _

"Okamura...?"

_"Yes." _

"What is it?"

"_Kai, give Mao some more time." _

"I know."

_"But I do not spare time when it comes to gathering information."_

Kai smiled, "Thanks, it's a big help. I'll meet up with you in five minutes."

_"Better." _

Kai dropped the cut the line and casually threw his phone off to the couch. He looked around for Diva who seemed to have made her way already in the showers. He could hear the water. He let out a smile that had the word "Perfect" written all over it.

**000 **

Diva came out of the shower only to discover Kai had taken off again. She noticed a small note on the bed that said he was meeting up with the reporter and that he will be back when all plans were settled.

She sighed. Lately she felt like she was starting to feel very useless, and that she was wasting so much time playing around in this play house. She had been idle for hours each day because she expects to hear them again. It had been disappointing her that she couldn't do anything at all. She can't depend on Kai, and she knew that.

Speaking of, she thought she saw something sitting beside Kai's little note. She brought her attention back to where the note was. She did see something after all, there was a blue rose sitting just right there.

* * *

_really sorry guys... :(_


	11. Not Yet Mine?

_Chapter 11_

_ahehehe... won't say anything this time. :)_

_except this:_

_disclaimer: don't own blood plus. (dang it! yeah yeah... whatever.)_

**000**

Clearly, Kai couldn't keep how he felt to himself. _"Hey, look. I'm in a good mood!"_ was written all over his stupid smile. The reporter sitting beside him couldn't help but lift an eyebrow.

"Looks like someone's happy." He muttered to himself as he sipped from his cup of coffee. "Maybe the smiling can stop and we can talk. The telepathic conversations you're trying to have with me is driving me crazy."

That's when Kai snapped out of his daydreaming. He shook his head, and wiped his face twice as if trying to rub the smile off. "Sorry about that."

"You're kind of creepy, you know." Okamura shook. "A while ago you were at the verge of crying like a baby, now you begin smiling like that. It makes me think that woman had a certain effect of making you smile creepy like her. She probably kissed you or something."

"So, what'd you get?" Kai asked, ignoring Okamura's earlier statement.

Okamura blinked.

Kai lifted an eyebrow. "What?"

The reporter sighed and shook his head. He withdrew an envelope from his vest pocket and threw it on the table. "I got this. I'm supposing you're thinking it won't be much help."

Kai opened the envelope and scanned all eight pictures he pulled out from it – pictures of a foreigner. Judging by his salt and pepper for hair, he was probably in his fifties.

"Who's the guy?"

"That's Peter Falecki."

"And?"

"He's after your kids," Okamura stopped there. He was waiting for Kai's reaction, making sure he would be able to continue without getting shouted at. Seeing the younger male stayed silent, he continued. "I took this picture a while ago. As you can see, this was taken outside the Omoro."

Kai looked at the picture closely. Indeed, it was taken outside his house. He could see the blurred image of his parked bike and the main door. "What if the guy was just passing by?"

"I don't think so," Okamura settled his cup on the table. For him, the real talking begins. "When I literally dragged Mao out of your house, I saw him by the alley. I smelled he was snooping around not a minute later. So I decided to come back after caging _the beast_ and saw him just leaving. It's pretty unusual for a foreigner to stay that long outside the Omoro, unless he went inside and had his dinner there."

Kai shook his head. "He didn't. Why think he's after my kids?"

"I asked around the locals and I discovered he regularly came here, even before _your_ blue-eyed wonder came in the picture."

"She's not mine." Kai spat.

"Yet?" Okamura chuckled.

Kai groaned and decided to return to the original subject.

"How come I never noticed that guy?" He leaned on his chair's back rest in frustration.

"You were probably too eaten up by your girlfriend problems." Okamura murmured. Kai flinched. "Don't fool me kid, I saw all those empty bottles in your living room. Anyway, I made a little researching. This guy works for Doctor Ivan Hegel, a genetics expert."

Kai's eyes widened. "What does a genetics expert want with my kids?"

"Any doctor will be intrigued with Cheropterans."

"What the hell does he want?"

Okamura smiled. "You're not seeing what is off in the picture."

Kai furrowed his brow. "What?"

"The real question is, 'who the hell told him your kids were Cheropterans?' isn't that the right question?"

Kai's face lit up with clarity. "Red Shield won't tell anyone who isn't under them."

"Exactly. Who else would know they weren't humans anyway? Isn't it Amshell and company?"

"But they're dead!" Kai slammed his hand on the table, and buried his face on his hand. "I hope this isn't going to the part where you're going to say he's still alive and he's some immortal shit."

"Don't worry, he really is dead." Okamura assured. "I'm guessing these people were either under Amshell back when he was alive, or they just fished out the info from him. We all know what kind of dirty scientist Amshell is."

Kai pondered at the reporter's last statement. _He isn't dirty, he's filthy._ "He's filthy. Treating people like nothing but subjects for his experiments."

Okamura wanted to remind Kai that Diva wasn't human. He chose not to. He was positive he'll get hit – and hard. He broke the building silence with the light scratches of his lighter as he lit a cigarette. "Maybe Red Shield knew."

"So they hide the children?" Kai grunted. "But the fact that they did that without me knowing the reason is getting me jittery but more pissed off. Why would they do that?"

"Don't be. I'm not sure why they took the children either." Okamura reminded Kai. "I'm having troubles where to start on the tracking-down business."

"Julia's coming." Kai said.

"I don't think she knows anything. She's has a family to take care of. She's probably coming here to settle important things, maybe work. David is working sidelines now, not for Red Shield though."

"Maybe David can help."

"I don't know. But asking Julia won't be such a bad start, kid."

* * *

Diva was humming to herself as she trailed her fingers on her children's picture. _They were adorable._ She stood up from bed, portrait still in hand, and paced around the room in boredom. It was good thing she was able to hold herself from breaking anything just to entertain herself. She was smiling as she looked at them. Her smile only faded, when her eyes fell on the person in the picture with them – Kai. Her expression didn't exactly fall, it just went blank. Her fingers had moved to his face involuntarily. So slowly, she was beginning to smile again.

* * *

"Hey, Kai," Okamura said with a distant gaze. 

"What?"

"I think we should get to your place now." Okamura hurriedly finished his cup of coffee (A/N: amazing!! He didn't get his tongue burned!!), and literally smashed his cigar on the ash tray.

"Why?" Kai asked.

"I just realized something," Okamura pulled Kai out of his chair and dragged him to where he parked his car.

"Realized what?" Kai spat.

* * *

Suddenly, Diva's vision went hazy and her head felt like it was being pounded with a mallet. Her breathing slowly became unstable. Her shaking fingers had lost grip on the picture frame and left it crashing to the floor at the same time the door was heard broken down. At that point she wasn't sure which was louder. Her senses were totally in a blur. Something told her whoever broke the door down was after her. Aside from her current state, she didn't have intentions of running away.

* * *

"If my theories are true then we just gave them a break through by leaving that Cherop—by leaving Diva there!" Okamura said as he turned the engine on and drove out of the café premises. 

"Damn it," Kai said on gritted teeth. "Can't you drive any faster?"

"If I drive faster we might end up in jail not at your house you dolt!"

* * *

She pulled at her hair and screamed in her attempt to overcome the pain. And then, there were random images – images flashing over and over in her head. At first they made no sense at all but as soon as they ended. Everything went back to normal. 

Her grip on her hair loosened and her hands fell slowly down to her sides. Tears fell freely. And with the click of what sounded like a gun, a smile played on her lips.

**000**

* * *

_Yipeee!!!! I'm so happy my head is back to normal!!!_


	12. Not Saya

_Hey guys! Sorry if this took long. I was supposed to upload yesterday but since it was my birthday I had to postpone because a lot of people came to visit me. :)_

* * *

"I shouldn't be any threat for these people! Why would they wait for me to leave her behind?" Kai almost crushed the gun he held in his hand in frustration. "And can't you go any faster?"

"If you work for Redshield then they might as well consider your knowledge -- and not exactly you – as a threat." Okamura had chosen to drive away from the highway. He had been avoiding trash bins, gangsters, and stray dogs alike for the past twenty minutes. "And stop complaining! We're gonna crash if I go any faster!"

* * *

She was just laughing. The armed man noticed how her shoulders shook from her laughter, it almost drove him crazy.

"I—I am not threatened." was all he could muster as his hands began to shake.

Diva led her hand slowly to the gun aimed at her and held it ever so gently. The daintiness her fingers showed wasn't fake, but it definitely made the hair on his nape stand, and it was enough to take all his strength and power to pull the trigger away.

Diva raised her head to reveal her smiling face.

Slowly, her fingers went to his wrist. "Fool." She tightened her grip and threw him off to the nearby wall. She wasn't surprised to see more armed men behind him. She pulled the nearest furniture she found and shielded herself from the rain of bullets. She knew well that none of them could kill her, yet one that got through and succeeded in at least gashing her on her left cheek. It was a gash, but she felt her skin burning from it. She gasped in surprise.

Out of rage, she ripped through the wooden furniture and surprised them all by throwing one of them far enough with a single hit with her palm. Her eyes glowed as she raised her gaze at them.

"FIRE!"

* * *

Kai's hopes were high that he was able to come in time, but the wreck that used to be his house standing before him crushed everything. Okamura was equally speechless.

"Please be alright..." he thought as he ran inside. The place was a complete mess; covered in blood and cadavers. The only sound he heard was someone's heavy breathing. As much as he wanted to be cautious, he just couldn't. It might be someone else. The feeling that it might be Diva had overcome whatever training he had. He followed the sound and led him into corner of the living room. "Diva...?"

She raised her gaze at him and looked like she wanted to kill him next. As soon as she realized it was Kai, the glow in her eyes died out, and the young man caught her in time as she collapsed. She herself was covered with wounds and blood, which were clearly hers and those she killed. Whatever bullets they used, they weren't ordinary. It only hit Kai that she was weakening when her breathing slowed down.

"No," he said as he shook her. "Keep your eyes open!" He hurriedly ripped his shirt enough to reveal his neck. He repeatedly called her name and pushed her head to his neck. "Come on!"

Her body grew more limp worse, her breathing lost rythm. "NO! You're not supposed to die! You can't die with just that, right? Diva?" Kai waited for to at least make a sound, but she didn't. Her head hung low on his shoulder. "Diva! Your kids! Damn it! Your kids!"

"Kai..." Kai's eyes widened upon hearing his name coming from her. She did say something, and it just had to be his name. "Kai..."

He gritted his teeth. He can't take it. He can't because it sounded so different. "SHUT UP! Damn it!"

He shook her again to keep her awake. "Shut up! You can still make it. Gather whatever energy you have left and drink!"

"I found them..." Diva lifted her arms and placed them around Kai. Either it was her sudden action or her news that made him even more shocked, he didn't know. His heart was already pounding its way out of his chest. It was beating strong enough that even Diva felt it.

"Good. That's good. Now, drink so we can come to them. Please..." She was falling from his embrace, and he couldn't think of anything more but to get her to drink from his blood. It was going to be disgusting but it was all he thought would be the way. He took a nearby shard and wounded himself around the wrist. Without hesitation sucked a fair amount and kept it in his mouth. He wasn't able to internalize just how awful and metallic it tasted. He couldn't think of anything else.

As emotionless as Diva seemed, she was shocked with the next thing Kai did. He brought his mouth to hers in his despair to make her drink. He raised his trembling hand to the back of her head to keep her in their current position, and involuntarily though, it slid to the side of her face. (_a/n: boy is he gonna get slapped._)

* * *

"What can I say?" Okamura said as he leaned on his car's back bumper. "You are one crazy shit. You could've died, baka. Or at least, gonna die after taking advantage of things." He said with the last words in a whisper. He had brought them away from the house and bought a few things from the store to get Diva cleaned up, as it wasn't advisable to bring her to a clinic.

Kai briefly narrowed his eyes at him and returned to attending to Diva's wounds. Most of them were healed up. All he had to do was to clean them. All three of them were quiet for a while, sans the noise Okamura was making as he held his giggles in. He just had to do that.

"You said you found them," Kai said. He was already cleaning what were left of the gashes around her face, and catching her eyes were inevitable. Talking to her would be the best way to break the discomfort he was beginning to feel. She nodded at his statement. "You're going to have to strengthen up before we do anything else." He said that strictly. Diva didn't like it but was somehow able to hold back from tossing him somewhere far. She took Kai's hand and pulled it away from her face.

One more odd actions and Okamura couldn't take it anymore. He had to disappear from the scene before he gets his own life taken away out of somebody's irritation. "Listen, I'm gonna go and take a short walk. I'll be back."

As soon as he was far enough, Kai spoke again. "You have to."

"I wait again? What if I lose my only lead?" She was saying it rather in an annoyed manner. And with Kai not looking in her eyes as she spoke made her think he wasn't taking her seriously, it annoyed her even more. She brought a hand to his face and forced him to look at her. "You are not listening."

Looking in her eyes any longer will surely make him do something stupid, he thought. He had to do something. But as hard as it was to avoid catching her eyes, it was equally hard to tear his gaze from them. "I am...listening."

"You are not." Diva narrowed her eyes at him. Clearly, his head was somewhere else and not in this conversation. He gulped. This was even more irritating for her. Why the hell is he feeling uneasy? "Don't lie."

"I'm...not...lying." He was trying his best to make the conversation stable, but he couldn't. Any minute now, he will be doing something stupid.

"Kai." Diva was known for having such an unpredictable temper. Any more stupid answers, Kai is as good as dead. Even calling him like that didn't snap him out of whatever he was thinking. Her irritation was slowly faded and was taken over by confusion when Kai's face came closer.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying to—" Whatever was pushing him to do this was stronger that he wasn't even able to finish his statement. He brought his lips to hers despite the possibility of getting his pounding heart snatched out. He had his eyes closed but he felt her give in. This didn't last long though, Diva broke away and whispered rather disturbing words Kai didn't expect to come from her... "I am not Saya."

* * *

_:) I thank my readers and reviewers from the bottom of my heart._


	13. Hurt

_I know it's too short. but i'd make it up to you guys on the next chapter. :)_

_disclaimer: don't own blood+_

* * *

"I'm sorry, I'm trying to—" Whatever was pushing him to do this was stronger that he wasn't even able to finish his statement. He brought his lips to hers despite the possibility of getting his pounding heart snatched out. Eventually though, she gave in. But there was something wrong. Just along the sweetness she felt, there was something else. It was but a point compared to the mass of warmth she was feeling. It was so disturbing. It stung her inside, and somehow she knew it will hurt her further if she didn't break away. She brought a hand to Kai's face and pulled away. For a brief moment, her eyes seemed to be searching for answers from Kai's, which were only inches away from hers. The moment she found it, her eyes said it before she did, "I am not Saya."

Kai's eyes widened. He stepped away. Whatever she said hit him hard. He looked like he badly wanted to say something, but as his lips parted, no words came. Diva's shoulders fell, her hand went back to her side, and her heart sank. This was something new to her, and she definitely didn't like how it felt. Right now, she wanted it to go away. She wanted to pour all of it to the man before her even if she had a choice to go and beat the daylights out of someone else. She badly wanted to hit Kai, BADLY. Kai just had to do something and it would be her signal.

"I—" he began to shake his head. "—I didn't...I'm sorry."

That was all he could muster after all. She quickened her breathing after feeling her chest tighten, thinking that maybe it would help her feel better. Her hand was faster though, it immediately went for Kai's cheek with a sound slap. She couldn't understand, normally she'd be stronger than that; she should have thrown him somewhere else. She roughly rubbed the tears that began to frame her eyes — something she equally didn't understand and like as well.

Kai obviously wanted to say something else aside from an apology. Right now, he felt it would have been better if she killed him instead. After what he's done, he's going to have to live with the aftermath — and this is the start of it. It will be hard to make her listen to his explanation. He stepped back because for some reason, what she said hurt him more than her slap could and he couldn't find the right thing to say. He _didn't_ step back because he did realize that she wasn't Saya. He shook his head out of his thoughts and closed the distance between them to give in to his urge to hold her, although hoping his momentary silence didn't mess things up.

"Don't!" she screamed as she pushed him forcefully, sending him to the ground.

"You don't understand!" Kai knew he was smart enough as not to try invading her personal space again, else his dead. But the guy chose to be stupid anyway; he got back to his feet and decided to give it another try. Her eyes began to glow again. It's not that he didn't care about dying. He only thought trying to make things fall back into place must be his priority. He will _not_ go there again.

_What are you doing? _Diva thought. She clenched her fist as he got close. She knew she was ready yet something kept her holding back. She knew she set herself to hurt him real this time if he tried anything stupid again. But hell, he was crazy. His arms went back around her waist, and he even rested his head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I will not go there again."

The glow in her eyes died out, her fists unclenched, and although hesitantly, her hands went up to his back. "Kai…"

Kai smiled. He was so relieved. Perhaps so relieved, that the exhaustion he tried so hard to keep at bay up until now was beginning to take over his frame.

Okamura badly wanted to get to Kai's nerve again. He came in time to see a very interesting scene. The fear of death kept him from saying anything though. He refrained from disturbing them and decided to stay at the sidelines. _Sit back and watch the show._ He chuckled. But then, he noticed Kai was looking rather weak.

Diva gasped as she felt Kai's weight fall on her. "Kai?"

Okamura stepped out and ran to Kai's rescue. "Kid! Kid wake up!" He frantically called as he repeatedly tapped on Kai's cheek. He only stopped, when Diva glared daggers at him. He slung Kai's arm on his shoulder and brought him to the car.

* * *

A small clinic nearby was the best choice. It won't attract too much attention. He really didn't want to be the bearer of bad news and especially if he had to say the bad news to the murderous ones. Okamura gulped as he watched a few feet away from Kai's sleeping form lying on the clinic stretcher. Really now, he wasn't scared of Kai or anything, it was the girl, who chose to sit next to Kai, that scared the shit out of him. There was no way he could tell her Kai was not in the shape to walk around just yet.

"Much loss of blood," the doctor repeated.

"I KNOW!" Okamura suddenly burst out. "You don't have to say it again! Much loss of blood! Too much actually! I know, okay? I know!"

The doctor went silent, and stared at the reporter like he was a complete lunatic. As soon as Okamura regained his composure, he made a very special request. "Please don't tell the girl, okay? I'll be the one to do it."

"Oh-kay…"

When the doctor left, Okamura began pacing around the room. After much thinking, he came to the conclusion that he won't be the one to get killed just because he broke _wonderful_ news to Diva. Well, of course he was also worried about Kai. He remembered Kai informing him about Julia's arrival. Julia will be the one to tell Diva, he selfishly thought. Sans that, she_ is_ the best choice to ask for help at the moment.

* * *

_i'd like to devote this space to my reviewers and those who greeted! arigato guzaimasu!_


	14. With Me

_chapter fourteen. :) i wrote this in my most comfortable writing hours. that would be around four in the morning. hehehe... i'm quite the nocturnal one. it's just that i prefer to stay home. hope you guys like it._

_disclaimer: don't own bloodplus_

* * *

Kai tried opening his eyes. His eyelids were rather heavy today. He ended up lifting them a little and frowned at the brightness of the ceiling lights seeping through the slits his eyes managed to open to. He took a deep breath and moved to a more comfortable position as his back was beginning to feel stiff. Desperately wanting to look around, he shut his other eye and tried to put all effort to the other one but to no avail. He grunted in disappointment.

_Damn it._

As if the low sounds he made was a signal, cold fingers made contact with his forehead to his hair. He had a good guess on who it was. A part of him said it would be impossible but whoever it was, he or maybe she was stroking his hair, and was making him feel rather special. The moment though that he recognized the scent of this person, disturbing urges kicked in. He could have sworn his already messed-up spiky hair even stiffened. _Diva, you have to stop driving me crazy._ He mustered all his strength to grab her hand and set it down. _Phew, the hand is away now..._

"Hey..." he said in a low hoarse voice. Just when he thought the "hand" problem was dealt with, he felt her come closer as her scent became even stronger. _Come on. _He could tell she came closer. He felt her lay her head just at the edge of his own pillow, and worse, she brought her hand to the side of his head and gently made him face her. _Oh yeah, the hand is there again, it won't go away, and now I'm seeing her?_ All he could do was smile. It was a forced smile but no one could tell because weakness was written all over his facial features.

Diva looked like she wanted to say something. For a moment, her eyes were sure she will indeed say it but after a while, that confidence died out, and she chose to just play the 'glance game' with Kai. Kai was thankful his eyelids were so heavy that he blinked a lot, he just couldn't risk stupidity at the moment.

"You seem tired," Kai said, an effort to divert his mind out of things. Diva moaned; it wasn't clear if it was a yes or a no. Anyway, Kai took it as a yes. "You should rest up. There's another bed over there."

Diva paused, seemed to ponder for a brief moment, and then -- thankfully on Kai's part -- raised her head after appearing to have decided on what to do. She looked over her shoulder and frowned at the distance of the other bed, which was at the end of th room already. She got up from where she sat, and unfortunately for bed-ridden Kai, she began moving to the right side of his bed.

_Oh...kay... If I wasn't weak, I must've done something beyond crazy._ Kai gulped and cleared his throat. This wasn't really helping him recover; his limbs were stiffening this time. _This isn't really lovely to see._ Kai groaned but tried his best to keep it down. She began stirring so she lay on her stomach. Yet the stretcher just had to be too narrow for the both of them, so her body wasn't really all for the bed to carry. Perhaps most of her were almost on Kai. _Great, how lovely can this get?_ Kai considered crying but decided not to as it would cause a rain of questions. The feeling of her body in contact with his was kicking his crazy meter to overdrive.

For about an hour, they lay there in silence. Each were equally disturbed by things they considered problematic that they stayed awake. For instance, Kai and his crazy meter. Diva and that something she wanted to say.

"Kai?" she finally asked, sending ripples on the growing tension. Kai turned his head so he had a better view of her eyes, although it was the top of her head he was seeing. She looked up at him as she felt him move his head.

"Hm?" Kai asked in a very unnatural manner. Her face was so sullen, it seemed whatever she was thinking, it really was bugging her. She brought her fingertips to his cheek. _Again!?_ The tracing thing they were doing on the side of his face was very disturbing that the crazy meter he tried so hard to keep at bay was just about to explode; only his weak state was there for him to push it back.

"You're not going too, are you?" she asked.

Either his crazy meter went down in an instant because he felt sorry for her, or because he didn't expect that to come from her, he didn't know. Right now though, he wanted her to smile. "Going?"

"Yes, going."

"No, not yet. Why?" he answered. He wanted to say just the first without ending his statemen in a question, but he just couldn't help it. Who wouldn't be intrigued if someone who seemed so cold began acting like this? The story of the crazy meter in this moment was done, it was the happy meter that kicked in this time. At the moment, the urge he was trying to fight was the urge to kick around.

She smiled and chose not to answer. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Please stay, alright?" she said.

"Here? Of course." Kai assured.

"No, with me." Kai's eyes finally opened effortlessly.

* * *

The lights were out. But Okamura couldn't really tell if a person's home or not just by the light of the house. He took his chances and landed three loud knocks on the door, and waited... Nothing. He raised his hand again to knock, when the door swung open and revealed a sleepy Julia.

"You?" she rubbed the sleep off her eyes for a moment as if to make sure she wasn't still asleep, and that she was indeed seeing the nosy reporter in her doorstep. "What are you doing here at this time of night?"

"I need your help, err..." Okamura stopped for a moment, and pondered on what he said. Yes, it's true that he needed her help; he needed someone else to tell the scary one about Kai's condition, but he wasn't supposed to say that. He needed the perfect alibis. "I mean, Kai. The kids in quite a mess right now."

"What happened?" Julia asked, concern taking over confusion.

"Long story. But if you come with me and see him for yourself maybe it would be easier to explain things." yes...perhaps, the 'things' he meant are too weird to explain. _Goodness, the world is turning upside down..._

"Okay, come in." She opened her door and went for her room. "I'll just get dressed and we'll get going."

"Thanks so much," Okamura said that rather too heartily that it was almost obvious that it was his ass that he wanted saved badly and not Kai's.

"Is it that bad?" Julia called from inside her room.

"That?" Okamura asked.

"Yeah, that -- as in you coming at this hour. And how did you know I came?" Okamura gulped. This was calling for a loud 'oops'. He cleared his throat after thinking that it would be best to tell her the truth. It will be a start. "Well, Kai told me."

There was a brief moment of silence only broken by her asking again. "Well, if you don't find it too nosy for me, can I ask how he knew?"

"Well, you did ask. I might as well answer. I think the doctor down at the clinic told him."

"I see."

Moments later, she emerged from her room, with a serious face. "It seems to me like you have more things to say. I'll hear them out when we get there. I also have things in mind that I think you should know. Probably as important as what you will be saying."

* * *

"Please stay, alright?" she said.

"Here? Of course." Kai assured.

"No, with me." They echoed more in his head than they should have. It sent more pain into Kai's head. Pobably because of shock overload?This day should be crowned 'Shock Day' as it proved to be stuffed with shocking events.

Kai didn't say anything, or maybe, couldn't say anything. Diva looked back up at him with eyes that hoped for the best to come out of his lips. Kai just smiled. To her though, it meant more than what he might have said. She smiled and brought her lips to Kai's.

Again, equally shocking as the first events, she broke from the kiss and said, "Thank you."

* * *

_again, i would never stop thanking you guys (my readers and reviewers)._


	15. Weaknesses and Chevaliers

_**Chapter 15 here:) won't say anything this time...**_

_**this is an exception though: disclaimer: sadly, I don't own blood+**_

* * *

Okamura and Julia walked the halls of the clinic in silence. A frown was apparent though on Julia's part; she didn't like the clinic sanitation. She threw the reporter a mild glare, while all he could do was shrug his shoulders. "It's the best choice."

Julia returned her eyes on the pathway. "It's blood loss, you say?"

"Uh-hm," Okamura answered. "Too much blood loss. You'll know why when we get to Kai's unit. Some things are just so hard to explain if not seen."

Okamura stopped by the eighth room, breathed heavily, and raised both hands before him. "Okay, just let me check first. I hope you understand. I just...am not really comfortable if I don't see it first."

Julia sighed in defeat and nodded.

Okamura pushed the door open, and almost whitened in complexion. Seeing the two sleeping on the same bed wasn't such a pleasant view if he was to explain things. _Damn you, Miyagusuku Kai! You're making things more complicated! _Half his body popped outside, and smiled unnaturally at Julia. "Ah...hehe. Just a sec."

Julia rolled her eyes and began tapping her foot impatiently.

Okamura shut the door close behind him and went for the sleeping form of Kai with his hands balled into fists with irritation. What? Of, course! It'd be Kai he's waking up, not the other one. He valued his life enough to know this. He began poking Kai with his finger but to no avail. "Kai," he whispered. He huffed, looked around, and picked up the pen on the bedside table. He used it to poke Kai again, a little harsher this time around. "Miyagusuku Kai!" he poked him even harsher, almost forgetting the risk of waking the other one. He continued poking, failing to notice that Diva had already raised her head. Actually, she was already shooting glares at him. _One more of those irritating things you're doing, and you're dead._

"Kai! Kai, you stupid--" the reporter's poking slowed down as his head turned to see Diva already narrowing her eyes into slits at him. "Uh...hehehe. I need to talk to Kai?" he asked, never failing to keep the extremely forced smile he put on.

Diva sighed slightly, rubbed the sleep off her face and lightly tapped Kai on the cheek. "Kai..."

"Hm?" Kai opened his eyes with just a single call of his name. _Say, how was that so easy for her?_ Okamura thought. He will get his hands on Kai when that woman turns her back, and he'll make sure Kai was done for! He rubbed his eyes. He smiled upon seeing Diva. "Hello."

_Okay...you see, I exist. Does anyone know that besides my clothes and my shoes?_ Okamura gritted his teeth behind his lips in his irritation. He was completely being ignored by the probably dazed kid.

Diva smiled back at Kai, and looked up at Okamura, signalling the reporter's presence to him. Kai was glad his muscles were less weaker than before that he was able to sit up right. "Yeah?" he asked Okamura in an almost disappointed tone.

Okamura gave him a don't-yeah-me look, and almost told Kai the case by just looking at Diva.

"No way," Kai said as he rubbed his eyes again. "Anyone there?" Okamura's eye twitched. Kai snickered. "Well...aside from you, I mean," the younger male clarified.

"Julia is," the reporter answered.

Kai looked pleased. He looked relieved for a moment, yet soon, it was replaced by worry. He stared at Diva, who looked like she understood. "Can you go over there for a moment?" Kai asked her, referring to the nearby couch. She simply obeyed.

Okamura's brow went up at this. _Have I been gone for three years now?_ _How in wretches name did that happen?_ _The murderous one was actually obeying him! Oh no, oh no, no, no... I haven't said I love you to my mother yet in case the world is just about to end._

"I'll...just...go get her." Okamura turned for the door. Kai could tell he was cursing about wretches and bitchy rich kids... _Hm...maybe Mao_? Not later, he returned with Julia right behind him. The doctor looked like she had seen a ghost; she was as white as paper as soon as she saw Diva sitting 'harmlessly' on the other side of the room.

"Uh...hello?" It was Kai's attempt to break the silence. "Listen, this is a long story."

"So, it's true," was what she said. Both Kai and Okamura stared at her in confusion. "I was expecting something close to this but I didn't expect it to be...to be--"

"--this?" Okamura finished for her. Kai stared at Okamura like what he said was the lamest thing in the world. But anyway, the reporter was still right. "Anyway Julia, you said you had something to say too. You look like you want to talk first."

"No, no, both of you go first."

Talking? Kai signalled Okamura to do it. He took it with all his heart. He loved it anyway. After several minutes of explaining Diva's appearance, the kids' sudden disappearance, and their assumptions on the case.

"You see," Julia began. "I don't really know much about Red Shield lately. Both David and I haven't been active in the organization for sometime now. But I do know something."

Kai and Okamura's eyes sparkled with eagerness to find out whatever that was she knew.

"The children were taken under the assumption that an organization working for..." she stopped short as she remembered Diva was in the room. Seeing, the 'technically' younger female was silent, and seemingly harmless at the moment, she went on. "...for Amshell will be after them. If we fuse it with Okamura's findings, it only fits that those scientists you meant work for Amshell."

"For what purpose then?" Okamura placed a hand on his chin. "We all know what became of Amshell."

"Seeing that Diva is right here," Julia nervously looked back at Diva, who seemed to have indulged her mind in the conversation as well. The dark haired girl brought a pleading gaze to Kai, who returned a concerned one. The doctor noticed this immediately. It brought a smile on her lips. Not later, she shook her head and cleared her throat to continue. "Well, seeing Diva is right here, it seems David's guesses are true. That organization will use the children to complete their experiment. That is, if it really is what Amshell told them to do."

"Complete their experiment?" Kai repeated. "Those guys are genetics experts, right? You don't mean?"

"That's what it is." Julia nodded. All three's gazes fell on Diva. "But it's just so surprising to see how they note her incomplete. She looks perfectly healthy."

They went silent for a moment until Kai decided to break it. "I guess she is. She has some abilities she only regained recently."

"Kai, it's bothering me. How did she get here?"

That hit Kai with a loud pang. He didn't know. He didn't ask her. Silence filled the room again.

"Peter brought me here," that was unexpected. The other three stared at her with eyes wide in shock.

"Peter? She doesn't mean thy Peter?" Okamura asked in surprise.

"The tall pale man?" she further added, making Okamura nod.

"This isn't making any sense..." Julia shook her head and rubbed her face.

"I'm going to need major thinking space," Okamura grabbed his messed up hair in frustration. "What is that guy doing by the house? What are his motives? Damn... this is messed up."

Silence crept persistently in the room again. All four were practically staring into space until Julia sighed and suggested that Okamura should go back to the house and take his chances; he might see Peter Falecki out of luck. Kai insisted on coming but the doctor insisted stronger that he stayed in bed and recover. Kai didn't like the feeling of having nothing to do. For the longest time, he had suffered the feeling of being useles -- everyone fought, he was left behind. It was always like that.

Julia went out to get the necessary things she needed for Kai's recovery.

After a long moment of thinking, Kai spoke up and made...a request.

"Diva?" he called.

"Hm?" she stood from where she was sitting and sat on the edge of Kai's stretcher.

"I want to fight," he began. "If I was stronger, I could do so much more. I could prevent the things I fear from happening without depending on luck. I want to be of help."

Diva's expression fell. She had a perfect guess on where this was going, and she didn't like it.

"Diva, I need to be stronger. Maybe you could--maybe I could become--"

"--no," Diva cut in. She can't let him have that life. Or maybe...she was being selfish. The feeling of having someone genuinely care for you not because of any biological relations was something she yearned for, and she didn't want it to be replaced by 'automatic' responsibilities, and 'obligated' care. A side of her was saying that Kai was so much better than someone who would become something robotic, but she just didn't want to take the risk.

"But I can't do anything if I'm like this. I--"

"--no..." she repeated authoratively.

* * *

_**thanks to my redears and my reviewers!!! Really, i'm saying this from the very bottom of my big loving heart!**_

_p.s. to __**radiantbeam**__. :) i'm enjoying your work, please keep writing! I'd be submitting a review soon. :)_


	16. Truth

_First and foremost, i'd like to say sorry for my sudden disappearance. I've been busy with so many things lately. thank you to my loyal readers and reviewers. it means so much. Hope i'll make it up to you with this chapter...i'm humbly apologizing..._

_disclaimer: don't own blood+_

* * *

Okamura impatiently flipped the metal cap of his lighter over and over again. He was in front of the Omoro for a while now. The thought that the Peter guy might not show up kept crossing his mind. _Hell!_ If he consistently spied by the Omoro then he could have seen what happened recently and it might have pulled him out. _Wait!_ Those creeps and the foreigner worked for the same guy anyway. _Crap!_ Everything was jammed in his head in a rush, he couldn't keep his thoughts organized anymore. He forgot about the reason why he decided to come here again; it was indeed to check if the foreigner went back, and whatever reason he has doesn't matter, it was his presence that was important.

To the reporter's glee, he heard a few sounds from inside. Either someone had slipped in without him noticing or was there all along, it made him felt stupid just the same. He dropped his cigarette on the ground and crushed it beneath his shoe. He cautiously went for the entrance, and peeked to notice the silhouette of someone inspecting a few things scattered on the floor. That's when he realized the bodies sprawled there a while ago were all gone. _Seems that organization was careful enough._ They didn't send that much people to avoid attention, and now, they clean up their mess.

Okamura pulled his hand gun out of its holster. He revealed himself and pointed the weapon at the same time. _Shit, this is going to make me sound like some cop. Whatever._ "Keep your hands where I can see them." _Lame, lame, lame..._

The clouds have moved to give way for the moonlight to shower the room with its glow. It revealed that the stranger, in a raincoat, had his hands on head level and slowly stood up. "Now, turn around." Okamura ordered. Just after the stranger had unmasked himself, a smile crossed the reporter's lips. "Bingo," He whispered triumphantly. "Okay, I'll go straight to the point. I know you, and what I want cleared is your intention. What are you still doing here when Hegel's goons are gone? Are you on over time?"

"Hegel thinks I'm dead," the foreigner answered with a straight face.

The reporter's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How do I know if I could trust you?"

"You can ask the girl if you'd like," Peter answered confidently. "She's enough proof."

Okamura's stance went back to normal and lowered the gun. "Good. We've got a lot of talking to do."

* * *

Both Diva and Kai seemed like they were pretending to be busy or just busy with random stuff. Diva was playing with her hair and was sitting on the very edge of Kai's stretcher for some reason; while Kai watched the blood making its way from the dangling bag through the tubes pinned on his skin _without_ getting bored. 

Somehow though, Julia was amused with the scene...well, if you could call that a scene then heck it's _suuuuuuuch_ and exciting scene... She glanced at her watch, and tapped the last three seconds of silence with her finger on the back of her hand. She breathed and began adjusting a few of this and that on Kai's blood transfusion tubes.

"How're you feeling?" she asked.

_Physically? Well... _"Better."

"Better? How better?"

_Damn, do you have to keep digging?_ "Feeling less exhausted."

"That's good," Julia said, although reluctant of ending it there. She wanted to talk some more, when Okamura entered with Peter at his back.

"It's good to see she's doing well," the foreigner said as if announcing his entrance.

Diva neither frowned nor smiled. She kept a straight face. She briefly looked to the foreigner's direction, and returned to playing with her hair anyway.

"I came to explain myself," Peter said with his hands in his pockets. Brief silence threatened to fill the room until he decided to continue speaking. "On our way here, the reporter told me people had been seeing me for a long time already. This is the truth I'll be speaking."

He went silent again, as if waiting for everyone's approval. "Go on…" the youngest male said, finally sitting up.

"Impressively," he began. "The reporter got almost everything right. Initially, I was never ordered to observe her kids. I was in the main lab at that time, working with Hegel himself. I'm a reader. I have been observing Diva's dormant form for a long time.

"Four years back, we had already secured DNA and all those necessary stuff to create something like a back-up. That's what the man you know as Amshell told us to do. Hegel was actually already interested in the girl when the creepy guy came to us and made a deal.

"Hegel didn't stop even until we lost contact with Amshell. We had already assumed he was dead. Almost all of us never really cared about the money he offered. It was this particular breakthrough. Every scientist would wish for that.

"The night before the concert, Amshell gave us 'updated' components for our research; that will include brain cells." Peter stopped there, he had noticed Kai almost crushing the part of the tube he held in his hand since he began talking. "Brain cells…you know what that means. We had assumed that if her memory returned, there might be a chance that her growth will quicken. Hegel though, he didn't want to risk making the project remember anything, as it might lead to early awakening. We didn't want that either."

"Because her awakening might outpace her physical rejuvenation," Julia finished for Peter, who stopped in slight surprise. "Thus she will take the risk of being somewhat incomplete."

"Your sharp," Peter complimented. "That's exactly why. Hegel was disappointed. Diva remained dormant for two years that he had finally considered 'installing' the supposedly 'updated' components. The results were impressive. She was showing so many signs of growth that included even emotional growth. That was what Hegel feared. He didn't want risking his precious experiment to break free just in case. He immediately made us abort the installation but perhaps we were too late? Or perhaps it was something we never really could abort. Cutting the process only slowed her recovery down. It was this year when she started showing emotions according to my readings.

"Then, probably out of curiosity, I read her background. That's when I learned about her kids."

"And that's when you started spying on them?" Kai said flatly.

"Well…yes," Peter answered. "I wasn't ordered to observe them. But I have a family too. Believe it or not, my curiosity was overridden by guilt and sympathy for the girl." He paused and smiled at Diva. "Those are sweet kids you have."

Diva looked up at him, her neutral expression turning into a frown.

"It didn't take long until Hegel finally found out I was secretly spying on Diva's kids. He selfishly wanted them to himself, and worse he considered disposing Project Diva. As if on cue, the growth process we supposedly 'aborted' began shooting itself to maximum ratio. Hegel desperately ordered me to erase all of her memories and it might revert the experiment status back to dormant, it didn't work though.

"She finally awakened and caused quite a rampage there," Peter suddenly let out a small laugh. "She almost killed and fed on me too if I wasn't quick enough to tell her about her kids. I took her here in this city, planning to leave her where her kids were at, but she told about taking her to her sister."

"Hold on," Okamura's brows were knitted together as he carefully digested the information. "What has become of Hegel then?"

"That guy? If his men were there at the restaurant last night then I assume he's alive." Peter took out a small circular emblem from his pocket and held it up for the three others to see. "I found this at your house, kid. It's Hegel's Company insignia."

Kai couldn't say anything. He was beginning to feel disturbed by the fact that what was before him wasn't really Diva. His head was frantically searching for the perfect way to deny it.

"Then, if I may ask," Julia began. "In what sense is she incomplete?"

Kai raised his head at this and looked hopefully at Peter.

"Like I said earlier, her awakening had outpaced her physical recovery. She is incomplete in a sense that her abilities haven't all returned to her. There are some of them that she will recover in time."

Kai's shoulders went down in relief even if he wasn't quite sure why he was relieved. Peter couldn't help but notice Kai's time to time reactions. He walked over the younger male and patted his shoulder. "Incomplete is still different from imperfect."

Kai looked up at the scientist as if he was still trying to make sense of what he just said. As soon as he realized what it meant, his gaze returned to the object of his recent confusions, Diva.

* * *

Okamura, Peter, and Julia were probably out thinking of a next move. Kai lay silently on the stretcher provided for him, looking blankly at the bland ceiling. 

Lately, he had been caring too much for Diva. He never actually thought about it. But if he wanted the string of confusion to stop winding into something longer, he had to admit a few things already; things he had perhaps been denying out of the feeling that he had thrown everything that happened before out the window. It's here now...can't stop it can he?

He took in a deep breath and finally said it in his mind slowly but surely…_I've fallen for her._

* * *

_Sorry about the super late update again. Oh, and i've considered the song lyric affiliation thing... I'll come up with something. Thanks for the suggestion Silverfang. :)_


	17. Her Ring Finger

_I'm really, really, really sorry guys... had a serious case of writer's block, and not just that, my whole academic life was such a mess. I had to kick myself back to the top just to save my ass from getting shot by parent firing squad. Oh, and...to Silverfang, thanks! Uh...actually, I already had one of the things you enumerated in mind before you had it posted and I'm not telling which one. wink Guess my style is somewhat predictable._

* * *

_"Trying to get there will be suicidal."_ Peter said in between cigarette puffs. For the past hour, he, the reporter, and Julia had been discussing the most rational next move -- one that will not waste any of their precious time. They had so many factors to consider which were almost all interconnected or, if not, contradictory. It started to piss the hell out of the supposedly sharp reporter. 

"Okay...so where is the 'there' you're saying again?" Okamura asked.

Julia sighed, while the foreigner gave him a have-you-been-listening look. The reporter only shrugged at this as if begging for their forgiveness. He was well aware he was falling last on the wise list lately. Some things have gotten too disturbing to comprehend lately.

"Okamura," the foreigner began. "I just said that I still know where Hegel's HQ is and I can help you get there."

"And?" Okamura asked, stupid face unwavering.

"But I don't still don't see the point why we should try to get there." Peter paused. He was either checking if Okamura was listening at all, or he began feeling very stupid (a/n: i think it's the latter).

"Eh?" the reporter still looked blank.

Julia stopped trying to think of the situation and finally sighed heavily. "You should stop drinking coffee, Okamura. It's taking away all of your functional brain cells..."

_That was a joke. _Okamura blinked and thought that was a stupid thing to say for someone on the top of Demons of Science list. Hey...what do you know? He's still got his comprehension with him! And his brain cells aren't disfunctional!

There was silence. The foreigner preferred to look at the floor as he thought, Julia chose the wall across her, while the reporter -- shoulders slouched and eyes unfocused -- looked stupidly ahead. Then suddenly, the wating room door swung open and a fuming Mao came in. She walked across the room toward the dazed reporter and paused in front of him. _Okay...what's this again?_

"You call me at this time of morning to get you back to your senses?" she asked, raising a hand. Okamura only looked at her hand. _Uh...what's the hand doing in mid-air?_ "Funny, I thought you knew." she replied, clarifying to the reporter that he had actually said that part aloud.

SLAP.

Okamura's eyes widened. He didn't even have time to comprehend what just happened or at least say ouch.

SLAP.

_Again?_

SLAP. SLAP. SLAP. SLAP.

"What?" was all he said. Mao's brow furrowed dangerously, and again, the hand went up.

SLAP. SLAP. SLAP. SLAP. SLAP. SLAP. SLAP. SLAP. SLAP. SLAP.

"Stop that!" he finally said as he held both sides of his reddened face. "It hurts woman! I called you, if I think I did, to get me back to my senses not to wreck my already defused mind!"

Mao smiled. "Mission accomplished."

"Don't M.A. me woman! My face is bulging like the equator!" Okamura yelled, fists flailing around in anger.

"Well, if you can yell like that already then you're perfectly back to normal," she held both sides of his face with her cold hands gentler than usual. Okamura calmed down, pouted, and lifted an eyebrow.

"I hate it when you do that." Okamura murmured, which only made Mao smile even wider. She ruffled his already unruly hair playfully, and mouthed a "good boy".

Julia's brow lifted in comprehension. _Oh...I get it._

The foreigner can't help but feel amused. He wasn't the type to show so much emotion but couldn't help but smile.

"So, you finally made up your mind?" Okamura asked the girl standing in front of him.

"I'm not positive about this yet," she said. But the 'yet' part was enough if Okamura was asked. "I doubt I'll already be even after I get explanations from all three of you."

_Ugh...well...the 'yet' is the shining sign of hope here. Let's keep it at that._

"Please give me time." She finally said with a faint pleading frown at the reporter. He could only smile, assuring her he understood. "Well...shall we start?"

"I believe it will be quite difficult to understand with just a single night," Peter began. Mao lifted a hand, dismissing the fact that she might choose not to listen.

* * *

Some things remained difficult. Like climbing a steep slope, trying to finish your plate of vegetables, or trying to assasinate your own president (a/n: I know, not too creative). But to the troubled young man in the room, dealing with emotions was the hardest part. 

He was staring at the smaller ring among the two he had on his left hand. He was supposed to give that one to Ischie. That was when he was so sure about spending the rest of his time with her. He sighed. That part of the story is over now...

He had considered throwing it away before but now he was glad he didn't. He had done serious thinking for the past hour and now he had decided.

Things were such a mess lately, and they weren't going to be solved soon. He can't wait that long, knowing that the people he knew inside the hospital at the moment is in danger. He can't count on the peaceful, and no enemy encounters times they spend to keep his comfort preserved. HE, himself is in danger and he wanted something done before anything happened to him, something he wasn't able to do before.

He got off his bed and walked over to the sleeping figure of Diva on the couch. He was glad he was able to stand even with all the pain he was feeling.

"Diva?" He shook her gently awake as he knelt in front of her.

Her eyes fluttered open, and looked at him briefly before sitting up. "Hm?"

"There's something I wanted to..." he trailed off and sighed in frustration. He had his speech ready just a while ago. Now, his head just went blank. He shook his head and decided it was best to say things unorchestratedly. "I...wanted you to have this."

He lifted his hand and moved his pinky to emphasize the ring. He paused, looking at her reaction. Her brow began to furrow. There was a taint of worry there... or maybe fear? No, that wasn't how he wanted her to feel. She wasn't supposed to feel like that. He quickly thought of something to back things up. "I want you...to marry me."

Her expression remained the same, and now, he could swear water began framing her eyes.

"I'm not asking you Diva," he added. "I want you to be my wife, and I'm not giving you a choice." He knew that could have turned out really mean but he didn't care. He knew what he wanted and for once, he's going to be honest to himself. "I know...I know this seems so sudden and unfair for me to be pushing it on you."

He stopped. He wanted to say so much more but he just couldn't. For a second there, he thought he was so sure but now...seeing her taking it with pain was withering his confidence to nothing. _If it would hurt her...then maybe...I shouldn't..._

Suddenly, Diva flung her arms around him and finally allowed the tears to fall. "Diva..." he called. He could feel her shake her head against his shoulder. She didn't want him to speak, it seemed. "I can take it back if you don't want it. I'm sorry...I thought maybe if I..."

A seemingly frustrated sigh escaped her lips as she pulled away from the hug. _You persistent little...can't you keep your mouth shut?_

Kai chose to keep quiet after seeing her look at him like that. "So...what do you think?" He asked.

She smiled. It was just a simple smile but to Kai, it was more than what the girl could probably say. He felt so much better and the squeezy feeling he had in his guts had finally gone. He pulled the ring off his pinky and lifted her left hand. Carefully, he placed it in its rightful place...her ring finger...

* * *

_I so do hope you like it guys...thanks again...and sorry again..._


	18. Necessities

_Hrm…chapter's rather short...it would probably count like filler if it was a series. But no! I can defend that it isn't! Because I chose to focus on Mao's acceptance of the situation in this chapter..which I think is one of the things I should clear out in this story. And that song "Every Little Thing" by Dishwalla kept playing in the background so probably you'll notice that the chapter was largely affected by the lyrics. Anyway… Hope you guys like it._

_

* * *

_"Looks like I'm finally leaving this place," Kai said almost happily. If it weren't for the ring he and Diva were wearing he wouldn't really be feeling anxious while Julia removed a few bandages. 

"_We _are," Julia finalized. "And it has to be soon."

"And the _we_ is?" Kai lifted a questioning eyebrow.

Julia cocked her head to the side of the room where Diva was. "Her, you, me, that Peter, Okamura, and Mao."

"M-Mao?"

"She's back in the other room, being briefed with everything that's happened." Kai couldn't help but gulp. It meant she was ready for acceptance if she asked for explanations. _Damn it._ And that acceptance will soon erode and turn into nasty slaps again if she found out about his recent impulsiveness.

"So…how's she coping?" Kai asked, trying his best to hide his edginess. Julia only sighed. _That's not good._ To Kai, it's just amazing how the ever-clever reporter lasted even seconds around the impatient Mao. _Well…_ It's probably their totally different personalities that mesh well together when joined.

"THAT'S IT!"

That came first before a series of shattering and banging followed. Kai and Julia flinched with the next set of shouts that followed; it was even louder than the first.

"I HAD ENOUGH OF THIS WHOLE SCIENCE-CLONE-PERFECTION MUMBO-JUMBO!"

"B-But!"

"SHUT UP! YOU KEEP LOOKING AT ME LIKE I'M SOME IDIOT WHO WILL NEVER GET IT!"

"B-but it's true!"

"WHAT? THAT I'M AN IDIOT?"

"No-no-no-no-no! The you-don't-get-it part! That's what I meant!"

"DON'T TRY TO MAKE UP FOR IT! I KNOW WHAT YOU MEANT!"

"No! It's really-"

"ENOUGH!"

A series of slaps and thuds were caught in between the crossfire that could be heard from the other room. Kai was still flinching. Julia was dumbfounded, while Diva was amused. It seemed that the Mao person just earned her expensive respect, and she managed it in just a few seconds. Impressive if thought about, not even Kai could do that.

On Kai's part, things aren't going to be easy to explain. He glanced over his ringed finger. It was best not to tell anyone about it yet. Diva didn't seem to mind who knows what. The girl was sincerely happy with things between her and Kai like this. It _will_ be unfair to her even if the fact that she was already contented with things the way they are is given, it just isn't time to tell anyone about it yet. The timing is really out of place not to mention.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall dividing the two hospital rooms, Peter leaned on the wall by the corner and simply lit his cigarette at the scene before him. Okamura was crouched low with his arms over his head. "I'm sorry! Just let me explain what I meant and all this will be over!"

"No more explanations! My mind can't take anymore!" Mao cried, picking up the phone on the corner table this time.

"No, no! This is really as simple as ABC! Just let me finish it!" Okamura held out his hands in front of him, but with legs still crouched low in a protective stance; one which will allow him to jump out of the spot when the dangerous girl decides to throw the hospital property. "I will keep it as simple and as comprehensible as possible!"

Mao froze for a moment. As if someone had pressed the action button for her, she went back to her angered state and threw the poor phone at him. "YOU STILL THINK I'M STUPID!"

"That's not it!" instead of springing his feet so he could avoid the attack, his legs stiffened and he fell on his rear as the phone made an impressive smack on his head.

"You think you need to break down your tacky defense into kid shit just so I could understand!"

"Honey, calm down, you won't understand a thing with that temper!" He said, rubbing the spot where the phone made rough contact with.

"Don't call me that! It sounds like nail scratches on a blackboard to my ears!" She said while angrily scratching her head and stomping her foot like a spoiled brat.

"Alright, sweet-"

She made a low grunt as she motioned her hands in front of her lips, signaling the reporter to zip his mouth. "Not that either, you're making things worse!"

"Oh, so now I'm the one making things complicated?" Okamura complained as he allowed himself to fall on his back. He rolled on his stomach and pulled the nearby metal chair and used its cold aluminum legs on the forming lump on his head.

Mao sighed and rolled her eyes. "Okay…I think I'm calm now."

She couldn't see Okamura's expression but he was shaking his head and grunted. "Call me when you are sure you're calm, not when you _think_ you are…ugh."

The young woman dragged her hand down her face and knelt close to the reporter. It was weird but after a brief silence, she smiled half-heartedly and began poking the bruised reporter on the leg. "I'm sorry… I'm just so frustrated. All of you people are so smart…you guys know what to do, you all know what to do to help…and I'm…just this."

Okamura, still not facing her, sighed heavily. "Haven't we talked about this already?"

"Yes but," she began. "When it comes to times like this the truth that I'm really not any help becomes even more obvious."

"Damn it!" Okamura turned his head a little so he could somehow see her. "What if I told you that the mere fact you stand by me and nag me makes me happy? Aren't you helping me then? Jeez, I was about to lose my mind if you hadn't slapped the hell out of me. You think you didn't help me at that time? What would I call you for if I didn't need you?"

Mao went silent and bowed her head in apology. "I'm sorry…"

"Listen, you don't have to contribute on the whole thing really…" Okamura finally sat up and faced her. "I called you because I needed you to help me…not necessarily them. If it is still hard for you to accept lending Diva and Kai a hand, then think of it like you're helping me; like I'm the one who needs you."

Mao smiled weakly.

"Just _like_ you're the one who needs me?" she said, emphasizing the 'like' part.

Okamura shook his head. "No, I really do…"

"Do what?" she asked out of wanting clarity.

"Do need you, I mean…" the reporter smiled. Mao finally smiled sincerely. Silence threatened to build up when Okamura decided to stop it with a one-liner. "Man, you're slow…"

Mao laughed and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. She had slapped him hard that his face almost crashed with the floor. Though this was unintentional on her part, Okamura was so certain that it wasn't.

"Okay... For now, I'll do this for you…" She said. Okamura could only smile at her statement. _Finally, Kai's just got a chip off his shoulder. _He held out his arms to her for a hug. She smiled even more but only hit his head with the phone receiver – that was actually still with her – without giving him the hug.

"Ow…"

* * *

_Oh, and thank you so much for the reviews! love you guys..._


	19. PLEASE READ!

To those who are reading and/or reviewing I thank you so much!  
Criticisms are **GREATLY, GREATLY** appreciated. Oh, and in case you're wondering why there's a note right here, I just want to say a couple of important things...**VERY** important. 

First off, I'd like to clarify that I am NOT quitting on this fic. Heck! I love it! Again, I'm NOT going to quit on it, okay?

Second, I'D PROBABLY NOT BE UPDATING THIS MONTH. I'm busy because the semester's about to end, and I have a lot of academic requirements to pass...research papers and all the brain-wracking, mind-busting stuff. I don't really know the possibilities though. I have written a chapter before that I did in between studying. I guess I can still update this month but I don't guarantee it.

The main reason I wrote this note is to assure that I am not **GONE**, just **BUSY**. Hehehehe!

I'll be back, and I promise.

Love you guys:)


	20. What's Done

**GOD!! I'm really, really sorry for the SUUUUUUUUUUUUUPER late update**. I have reasons you probably don't want to hear anyway. But if you're curious, it was a rough semester end for me. I had suffered making term papers but they paid off anyway. The only thing that held me back was my cursed science subject. My professor gave me an incomplete for a grade, I had to make a special project so I could get my ass saved from being scolded by my parents.

I'm really sorry guys. I really, really am:(

**If there's one thing I can assure, that's you guys can trust me to finish this**... I will. After that, my work won't be done.I'll run final editting on it and probably get someone to be my second eye.

Lastly, thanks so much for the reviews, **criticism to encouragement, they all helped**. :)

* * *

Okamura was so relieved that Mao decided to stop playing bitch for the coming days. Speaking of Mao, she had just left to get him new clothes and some toiletries because according to her, the reporter was beginning to smell like "the whole week". _How the hell was that supposed to smell like?_ He swore that person had been around him for so long yet her vocabulary was still alien to him sometimes.

He inhaled the scent of peaceful air, not minding that it was actually "hospital air", (a/n: not to pleasant if you ask me) and made his way to Kai's unit. He swung the door open, a cheerful expression on hiss face and a hand in the air. "Yo!"

Julia and Kai only gave him a groan for a response.

"Cheerful today, are we?" he said sarcastically. "Perhaps, I should talk to Diva instead. Right, girl?"

He turned his smiling face to Diva, who didn't really find it nice. She folded her arms at Okamura's chummy approach. This simple gesture scared the shit out of him though. He placed an apologetic hand between them and immediately increased his distance from her.

But then, her hand didn't go unnoticed. Okamura spotted the ring around her finger.

* * *

Julia had just unstrapped Kai's arm bandage and sighed in relief. "It's a good thing you're getting better."

"Thanks, Julia-san," Kai flexed his fingers, testing them whether he was free to move to a further extent than he had days back.

Mao, and Peter weren't around, just the suspiciously jittery Okamura was standing in the room corner. Kai lifted an eyebrow at him. Okamura slapped his forehead and shook his head before pointing at his ring finger. Kai seemed to have understood anyway.

"Can I excuse myself, Julia-san?" he smiled. Julia looked worried but reluctantly. "I won't be long."

Kai walked out of the room, Okamura followed suit, shutting the door behind him.

As soon as the two got out to the hallway, Okamura grunted and pinned Kai to the wall. "_You are crazy_! Don't you know what might happen?"

The reporter pushed Kai even stronger against the wall as if squeezing a decent reply out of the boy. "I had just cleaned your name! While I was busy trying to figure things out, you were apparently busy too! With what, Kai?"

"Stop thinking about your own safety!" Kai retorted, grunting in pain.

"Listen, Kid," Okamura began, pointing a shaking finger at Kai. "Yes, I might be thinking about my own safety here, but I'm not the only one being selfish!"

"You don't understand," Kai struggled to pry Okamura's grip off his shirt.

"Don't understand what!?" Okamura tightened his grip. "Damn it, Kid! If I can't convince you to do this for me or Mao, then rethink what you've just done. I mean Diva, _think_ about her."

Kai shook his head. "I know what I'm doing."

"_Think_ about her, Kai!" Okamura repeated with gritted teeth. "Didn't you think about her when you decided to play _impulsive_ again?"

"I'm doing this for her!"

Okamura sighed heavily and let go of the boy's shirt, leaving him panting. "No, you're not."

"Listen, Okamura, _I know what I'm doing_."

"I hope you do," Okamura ran a hand through his unruly hair. "I really hope you do. Kai, you do know that she's going to get hurt if you're not sure – I mean – that's chaos!"

"I won't repeat myself," Kai insisted.

"I can never get through that stubborn head," Okamura leaned on the wall across Kai. "You say you're sure. If that's what you insist, I won't say anything anymore. Just make sure that you are not having doubts about this. Technically, you really don't know each other very well yet. You might just be doing this out of pity... Hell, I don't even know if you're over Miss Russia yet."

"I know how I feel about her," Kai sighed in annoyance.

"You can't turn back, Kai," Okamura warned. "Remember this, I won't save you anymore."

"It's alright; I have no plans on turning back."

"Suit yourself," Okamura shrugged his shoulders. "If you say you're sure, and you won't take anything back, I'm done here. I'm not having a decent conversation with you until you're not confused anymore."

"I'm _not_ confused, Okamura," Kai groaned and slammed a fist on the wall. "Can we stop this? It's getting annoying."

_Not confused, huh?_

"That's what you say, you'd better make sure it's how you feel."

Just then, the reporter's phone rang. He kept a stern glare at Kai as he took the phone from his vest pocket and brought it to his ear. "Yeah, Ho—"

He didn't even get a chance to finish his endearment, when Mao's annoyed voice came ringing through his ears. It sounded something like, "You dare call me that!" or "Call me that and you're done for!" Well, whatever it was, it only meant she didn't want Okamura calling her anything.

"What? Can't find my toothbrush?" Okamura quickly transferred the phone to his other ear as he rubbed the one that suffered from the earlier _outburst._ "No, I was just coming over. I can't breathe around here. We'll just come back later. Okay...bye—"

Again, not even a chance to call her by her name was given as her voice came echoing through the speaker. This time, it sounded like, "Zip it" or was it "Shut it?"

Whatever it was she said, it only made Okamura rub his other ear as well. He gave Kai on last annoyed glance before leaving the hospital, each hand on one ear.

* * *

_Done, by for now... and I know it's short. I'll make up for it in the next chapter. __**It will be a step further in the storyline.**_


End file.
